Re: Tritium in freezers.

["Hans Richter" <HRICHTER@engr-serv.usc.edu>]

Sounds like the insulation (fiber ) has gotten wet from H-3 water or 
some other H-3 solution.    I wonder if the frost free units don't show 
contamination because the  fan evaporates the water (ice).

HANS RICHTER
Usual disclaimer:  Opinions are strictly my own
go  USC  Trojans

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Eric  Boeldt wrote:

    I recently discovered that almost every freezer that is not frost-free
and that HAS EVER BEEN used to store tritium, now has tritium in the 
frost
(ice) that forms.  The levels are normally less than 10,000 dpm/ml, but 
one
was 500,000.  The freezers normally have 2 to 20 liters of water.
    Defrosting and deconning provides only a short term solution, within 
a
month the frost reforms and is often at the same tritium concentration 
as
before defrosting, at least in the 2000 dpm/ml range.
    The freezers show no removable contamination when tested with 
wet or dry
smears.
   1.  Does tritium do this with everything?
   2.  Does anyone know a decontamination method?
   3.  Does anyone know references from someone who has studied 
this?
   4.  Is the tritium "stored" as water or as tritium atoms in the
       intersticial spaces.
   5.  Does water/tritium move up or down a temperature gradient?

Any related info would be welcome.  Thanks in advance.
Eric Boeldt          (814) 865 - 3459      ejb6@email.psu.edu
Eric Boeldt, CHP
Penn State University, Health Physics Office
(814) 865 - 3459